Reading: Exodus 11-13
For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians;
and when He seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on
the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and
will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to
smite you. And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance
to thee and to thy sons for ever(Ex. 12:23-24).
And Moses said, Thus saith the Lord, About midnight
will I go out into the midst of Egypt: And all the firstborn in
the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh
that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the
maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of
beasts (Ex. 11:4-5). Death had come to the land of Egypt. In
this last and greatest of all plagues, the Lord’s wrath was being
poured out upon a sinful nation. Everyone within the borders of
Egypt, whether Egyptian, Israelite, or other foreign-born, had
come under the judgment of God. For all have sinned, and
come short of the glory of God (Rom. 8:23). Once again, however, God’s judgment was tempered with
the tenderest of mercy. In fulfillment of His Covenant with
Abraham, God created a path by which His chosen people
could escape the judgment of death. Although sin must be paid
by death (Rom. 6:23), He made an allowance for a replacement
offering made in obedience to Him. Your lamb shall be
without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it
out from the sheep, or from the goats (Ex. 12:5). The Lord
gave detailed instructions for the sacrifice and preparation of
the lamb, as well as for the application of blood upon the lintel.
Only by following these instructions to the letter would they be
saved from the wrath of God. For the Lord will pass through
to smite the Egyptians; and when He seeth the blood upon
the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over
the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto
your houses to smite you. We are privileged to live in a time in which Jesus, the perfect,
sinless Lamb of God (John 1:29), has permanently fulfilled
Passover by offering His sinless blood in our stead. Just as the
blood of an innocent lamb was the only appointed means to preserve God’s chosen people from death, the precious blood
of Jesus is the only thing that can cleanse us of our sins and
allow us to obtain eternal life. As sinners, we are all deserving
of death, yet God, in His boundless mercy, has offered us this
one chance to wipe our slates clean. There is no other way
that we can receive His grace. Jesus saith unto him, I am
the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the
Father, but by Me (John 14:6). Jesus was crucified so that we
might live. His blood, applied to our lives, allows the destroyer
to pass us by. How do we receive this wondrous gift? We must
open our hearts and ask. But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy
mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which
we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath
raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with
the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the
mouth confession is made unto salvation(Rom. 10:8-10). Thought For Today:God has already delivered His gift to us;
what He calls us to do now is wholeheartedly accept it. Christ Revealed:By the blood applied to the door posts. Jesus is not "a
door," but The Door to heaven. There is no other way to heaven except
through Him (Ex. 12:7,12-13,21-23; John 10:9;14:6; Acts 4:10-12). Word Studies:11:7 move his tongue = bark, growl; 12:9 purtenance =
internal organs; 12:11 with your loins girded = dressed ready for travel;
12:22 hyssop = common plant of the mint family; lintel = crosspiece above
the door; 12:36 spoiled = took all the valuables of; 13:2 Sanctify = Dedicate;
13:3 leavened bread = bread with yeast – symbolic of corruption and evil. Pray For Staff:Jennifer Palafox, Bible Pathway Ministries President •
Government Officials: Sen. Kevin Cramer(ND) • Country: Pakistan
(196,174,380) Southern Asia • Major Languages: Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto,
Saraiki, Urdu, English • There is no freedom to convert Muslims to Christ.
Pakistan is an Islamic republic • 96.4% Muslim; 3.6% Other (Christian,
Hindu) • Prayer Suggestion: Rejoice over and pray for those who share
the Good News (Nah. 1:15). Optional ReadingMatthew 21